Ogokbap (오곡밥, “Five Grain Cooked Rice” ) and Namul (나물, “Cooked Herbs and Vegetables”) are must dishes to have on Jeongweol Daeboreum. Ancient Koreans consumed nine loads of firewood to cook Daeboreumdishes, had nine bowls of Ogokbapstarting from Daeboreum Eve until the end of Daeboreum Day, and had nine kinds of Namul.

It was a tradition that they shared Ogokbapwith their neighbors – they were supposed to eat at least three bowls out of nine at different neighbors’. And there was another tradition called Bokssam (복쌈, “lucky wraps”) that may translate to “Wrap blessings and eat them.” Koreans usually use 2½x4 or 3x4 inch Gim (김, “dried lavers”) rectangles, fresh Chwi (취, “Korean aster leaves”), blanched Baechunnip (배춧잎, “Korean cabbage leaves”), or Ssammu (쌈무, “paper-thinly-sliced radish pickles”) to wrap a spoonful of Ogokbap. It was believed that you will not suffer from heatstroke during summer if you eat nine kinds of Namul on Daeboreum since the Namul dishes provide enough nutrients that you are prone to be deficient of during winter.

2. Pour 2¾ cup water (or red bean broth) in the cooker, add in 1 tsp salt, and press the "Cook" button – you may add or reduce the amount of water as you prefer.

All the ingredients ready to go in a rice cooker

(2) Simple, Easy WayPREPARATIONS:

●You don’t need to use all the ingredients listed above. If you don’t have time to go grocery shopping at your local Korean market or some of the ingredients are not available there, you may only use glutinous/sweet rice, white rice, red beans, and assorted beans.

●Wash thoroughly assorted beans and red beans a couple times and soak them all together in cold water for 24 hours.

● Wash and soak glutinous/sweet and white rice together in cold water at least for 3 hours.

● Wash glutinous Korean sorghum several times and soak in water at least for 30 minutes to remove puckery, rough taste.

●Rinse the bean mixture. Pour 5 cups of water in a pot and boil the beans until the water starts bubbling. Drain all the water in the pot. Boil the beans again in water till they become tender but still retain their shape. Drain the bean mixture through a strainer and set aside bean broth to use it in rice cooking later. Wash the glutinous Korean millet right before cooking. Drain the rice mixture, glutinous Korean sorghum and millet through a strainer too.

COOKING:

1. Put the rice mixture, glutinous Korean sorghum and millet in the electronic pressure rice cooker and pour water or bean broth into the cooker up to the level 3 ¾ – you may add or reduce the amount of water as you prefer. Add in 1 tsp salt.

2. Add in the cooked bean mixture and press the “Cook” button.

I minused chestnuts and jujubes from the ingredientsand soaked the assorted beans altogether.

1. Place a large frying pan over medium heat and pour enough grape seed and Perilla seed oil (about ½ TBSP each) to generously coat the pan. Add in 1 TBSP of minced garlic and stir-fry a little.

2.Stir-fry Munamul in the pan for about 5 minutes. Add in ½ cup of water and cook with the lid on for another 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and 1 TBSP of finely chopped green onions. Cook for the remaining time without the lid on to burn off the extra moisture.

COOKING KONGNAMUL (fresh Korean soybean sprouts)

1. Wash the soybean sprouts several times and soak in cold water at least for an hour to remove any water soluble impurities.

2. Place in a pot and add in water and 1½ tsp of salt. Boil without the lid on lest the soybean sprouts stink. Cook until they are tender but not mushy. Drain through a strainer.

3. In a large bowl, combine the soybean sprouts, 1 TBSP of finely chopped green onions, 1 tsp of minced garlic, and 1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds, and toss.

4. Add additional salt to taste and sesame oil. Combine well.

COOKING SIGEUMCHI (fresh spinach)

1. Wash the spinach several times.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add in a pinch or two of salt.

3. Put the spinach in the boiling water and allow them to boil for 20~30 seconds. Be careful not to overcook as this will make the leaves mushy and deplete the nutritional value.

4. Put the blanched spinach in the ice water. Leave them in the water until no longer warm. This will help stop the cooking process, retain the nutrients, and prevent discoloration.

5. Drain the spinach and squeeze out excess water.

6. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, 1 tsp of minced garlic, and 1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds, and toss.